Swedish activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday said the world needed an economic overhaul to have a chance of beating climate change and that countries should be ready to tear up old deals and contracts to meet green targets.
Ms Thunberg, 17, and other activists sent an open letter to European leaders urging them to take emergency action, saying people in power had practically "given up" on looking for a real solution.
"We need to see it as, above all, an existential crisis," she said from her home in Stockholm.
"And as long as it's not being treated as a crisis, we can have as many of these climate change negotiations and talks, conferences as possible. It won't change a thing."
Thunberg, who blasted world leaders at a UN climate summit last year for believing in "fairy tales" of eternal economic growth, said only fundamental change to the system would bring climate change under control.
She quoted a UN study published in November that suggested planned investments to boost fossil fuel production were likely to push temperature goals from the 2015 Paris Agreement out of reach.
"So that means that if we are to stay below these targets, we have to make it possible to tear up and abandon valid contracts and deals," Ms Thunberg said.
"And that is not possible within today's system.
"So yes, then obviously we need to think differently. And yes, we need to think outside the box."
Demands in the letter, released before Friday's European Council summit, included an immediate halt to all investments in fossil-fuel exploration and extraction, and a rapid end to hydrocarbon subsidies.
The letter also called for binding annual "carbon budgets" to limit how much greenhouse gas countries can emit to maximise the chances of capping the rise in global temperatures at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a goal in the 2015 Paris climate accord.
It urged European governments to back calls for the International Criminal Court in The Hague to adopt a new crime of "ecocide", to prosecute people responsible for large-scale destruction of the natural world.
Ms Thunberg emerged as the face of a growing, youth-led climate movement after a solitary vigil she began outside the Swedish Parliament in 2018 inspired children and youths around the world to stage strikes on Friday afternoons.
"In the beginning, I was very worried," she said, describing the fears over climate change that motivated her to embrace activism.
"But when I started doing something, then there came hope from that, because hope comes from action."
With climate protests mainly online during the coronavirus pandemic, Ms Thunberg joined climate scientists, activists and celebrities including actor Leonardo DiCaprio and author Margaret Atwood in signing the letter.
"The longer we keep pretending that we are on a reliable path to lower emissions and that the actions required to avoid a climate disaster are available within today's system. the more precious time we will lose," the letter read.
It called for climate policies to be designed to protect workers and the most vulnerable, and reduce economic, racial and gender inequalities, along with moves to protect democracy.
Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
Oppenheimer
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More from Janine di Giovanni
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
SOUTH%20KOREA%20SQUAD
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Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
65
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Infobox
Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
Results
UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets
Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
